First step is good but what about Khaddam?

According to an article published by AFP, “A Syrian rights group said on Sunday it had filed a war crimes complaint with French authorities against former Syrian Defense Minister Mustafa Tlass who was reported this week to be in Paris.” The retired Lt. Gen. Mustafa Tlass held high positions in the Baath Regime establishment. He was the Chief of Staff of the Syrian army (1968-1972) and Minister of Defense (1972-2004). According to AFP, the complaint the Syrian rights group had filed with Paris prosecutors on Friday accusing Tlass of responsibility in “several war crimes including the massacre in the city of Hama in 1982.”

Good move. My question to the Lebanese groups who faced the Syrian army from 1976 to the day they pulled out from Lebanon in 2005. Why you are not active on the legal fronts to prosecute the crimes done to Lebanese by the Baath regime. The Syrian groups started for massacres done in 1982 in the city of Hama. How about the massacres done by this regime in Lebanon? Are Lebanese lives have no value to you? Or is it that Tlass was close to Hariri clan? What about Aoun group? Didn’t Tlass gave the orders to the Syrian army in October 13, 1990 to invade the last free area in Lebanon? How about the massacres of October 13? You forgot them?

My second question is to the Kataeb, Ahrar, LF, Tayyar, …. how about Abdul Halim Khaddam? In case you forgot, while one was responsible for the Lebanese file and the other was a defense minister, the following is a sample of the Syrian army crimes in Lebanonduring that period:? He has been living in Paris for some time now. A very comfortable life. How come you never filed a lawsuit against him? You forgot what were his responsibilities in the Baath regime? Just a small reminder he was responsible for Lebanon file between 1975 and 1990. Have you forgotten what happened in Lebanon during this period? Did you forget the massacres, the assassinations, …. ??? How come none of you brought him to justice? Is it because he is also close to Hariri clan and he is one of those opposing the Syrian regime today? Is it enough to be close to Hariri clan and opposing the regime today to give Khaddam and Tlass a free pass? Does this closeness equate the lives of thousands?

September 11, 1975: The Saaka forces and forces from the Syrian Baath Party attacked the village of Beit Mallat killing seven of its residents and kidnapping 10 others.

October 9, 1975: Saaka forces traveling across the Syrian border attacked the village of Tal Abbas in Akkar killing 15 people and injuring many others. The local church was set on fire with the hope of igniting religious strife between the Lebanese.

January 7, 1976: In a statement published by a Kuwaiti newspaper Syrian Vice President Abdel Halim Khaddam announced that Lebanon is part of Syria and that it will be returned to it adding that this concept should be very clear to everyone.

January 21, 1976: The Yarmouck and the Saaka forces, under the command of Syria, attacked the Christian town of Damour in the Shouf uprooting its residents, killing a large number of people and reducing the town to rubbles. Druze leader Kamal Jumblatt tried in vain to stop the attack and prevent the massacres but all his efforts were useless in the face of the Syrian plan to ignite religious strife among the Lebanese.

November 11, 1976: The Syrian Saaka Forces attempted to assassinate the leader of the National Bloc Party, Mr. Raymond Edde.

March 16, 1977: The Syrian Secret services assassinated Druze leader Kamal Jumblatt in the Shouf region a few meters away from a Syrian checkpoint, then proceeded to commit revenge killings against the Christians of the Chouf which left 250 civilians dead.

November 5, 1977: The Saaka Syrian forces attacked the village of Aishiyeh killing 41 of its residents and displacing most of the others.

June 28, 1978: Armed gunmen affiliated with the Syrian intelligence services attacked the villages of Ka’a, Ras Baalbeck and Jdeidet El Fakaha, kidnapping a large number of people. Many of them were found dead while a good number of them remain missing.

September 30, 1978: Fierce battles took place between the Syrian army and the residents of East Beirut when the Syrian forces tried to advance into the area. The Syrian forces retaliated with heavy artillery, which left hundreds of innocent civilians dead and many more injured.

February 2, 1980: The Syrian special forces attacked the village of Kanat. The villagers resisted for six days but, after heavy bombardment, with tanks and canons, the Syrian forces were able to take over the village.

February 24, 1980: Lebanese journalist Selim Lowzi was found dead in the forests of Aramoun, near a checkpoint for the Syrian Special Forces. He has been missing for nine days, having been kidnapped on his way to the International airport of Beirut. Lowzi was known for his articles opposing the Syrian regime.

July 22, 1980: The Syrian intelligence services killed Riad Taha, the head of the union of editors.

February 20, 1981: In an attempt to reignite religious strife in the country, the Syrians attempt to assassinate the Greek Catholic Patriarch, Maximos the fifth Hakim in the town of Bhamdoun a few meters away from a Syrian checkpoint.

April 3, 1981: The Syrian army and its agents mounted a full-scale attack against the town of Zahle in the Bekaa in an attempt to control it. It was reported that thousands of Syrian soldiers participated in the attack and that they were met with resistance from the residents, which lasted about four months.

September 18, 1986: French military Attaché Christian Gauthier was shot in front of the French embassy with a revolver equipped with a silencer by Hussein Mostapha Tliss who now resides in Syria.

October 7, 1986: Syrian agents murdered the head of the Islamic Shiite Higher Council, Sheikh Soubhi Saleh, who was shot in broad daylight.

November 22, 1986: The Syrian army kidnapped hundreds of civilians from the town of Tripoli in Northern Lebanon in retaliation for attacks against Syrian military and intelligence positions. The bodies of many who were kidnapped were found in the streets of Tripoli and its suburbs.

November 30, 1986: The Syrian Special forces liquidated 34 residents of Tripoli on charges of “opposition to the Syrians.”

August 2, 1987: Syrian agents assassinated Dr. Mohammad Choucair, an advisor to President Amine Gemayel. He was killed inside his home in West Beirut.

March 14, 1989: Heavy Syrian artillery, specifically the 52nd brigade controlled by the Syrian special Forces, equipped with 240 and 160 millimeters canons, positioned in the hills of Aramoun, pounded both the East and the West side of Beirut, especially targeting the Unesco area. Tens of Lebanese were killed in the onslaught.

May 9, 1989: The Syrian Intelligence Services assassinated the Sunni Mufti of the republic, Sheikh Hassan Khaled after he notified the Kuwaiti ambassador that the Syrian artillery is the one responsible for shelling both the Christian and the Moslem sides of the city, and that the Syrians, from their positions in Aramoun, are responsible for the massacres at Unesco.

November 22, 1989: The Syrians assassinated president-elect Rene Moawad due to disputes he had with the Syrian leaders and his refusal to obey their orders.

November 12, 1990: Syrian agent Francois Halal makes an attempt to assassinate Prime Minister General Michel Aoun at the presidential palace. The head of the Syrian Baath party proclaimed that he was responsible for the failed attempt.

October 13, 1990: The Syrian Forces invaded the Eastern areas which support the Lebanese Army under heavy air strikes (the only instance where Syria was able to fly its airforce over Lebanese space without drawing the Israelis), artillery shelling and rocket launching. Both the people and the army attempted to resist this onslaught but the Syrians were able to take over the area committing massacres in Dahr El Wahsh, Souk El Gharb, Bsous, Hadeth and Beit Mery, massacres that left hundreds of people dead and many more injured. Large numbers of soldiers and officers from the Lebanese Army were executed with a shot in the back of the head, or were captured and taken to Syrian jails where they are still being held to this day. An estimated 700 people were killed by the Syrian invaders that day. For three days the Syrians proceeded to steal what they could find inside the defense ministry, such as archives, equipment, computers, maps, and strategic historic information, which they transported to Syria. The Syrian invasion was “legitimized” by the collaboration of one Emile Lahoud, a privileged and largely ineffectual Navy officer serving as the “legitimate” front for the Syrians. In his bid as a traitor and collaborator, General Lahoud became the Général Pétain of Lebanon who was rewarded by the Syrians with the “Presidency” of Lebanon. As the ultimate puppet, Lahoud will never challenge his puppeteers in Damascus, lest he loses his career if not his life.

The massacre of Dahr al Wahch.

The people of the village of Dahr al_Wahch saw Syrian soldiers push a column of Lebanese prisoners who were walking in their shorts towards some unknown destination. A nun, a nurse at the governmental hospital of Baabda, saw the arrival of corpses and of the Red Cross ambulances. “I counted between 75 and 80, she explained. Most of them had a bullet in the back of their heads or in their mouth. The corpses still carried the mark of cords around their wrists.” The rigidity of the corpses fixed their crossed arms behind their backs. They were naked, wearing only shorts. Some ten of them had their eyes gouged out, another ten had an arm or leg cut off. All had been shot in their heads. There can be no doubt about their execution.

To Lebanese Christian leaders, instead of bickering over who will win an extra seat in next election, put those responsible for the above posted atrocities (again those were just a sample) in jail. You owe it to those who died believing in you and your political speech.

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2 Comments

Elias JMarch 19, 2012 at 6:01 am

Good article and point there. Most of these events i read and was told about by just some i didnt know. Its a shame that none of these christian leaders have atleast tried to put those people up against a court, but thats what happens when they are blinded by the dollar, They forget the people who fought for them and the families that will never see a family member again.

Christians need a leader for its people and lebanon. But only time will tell.

Fahed KMarch 19, 2012 at 11:35 am

very good article. in recent years all was mixed on political kitchen of Middle East – LF leader went to salafist Qatar seeking support, one syrian criminal ( Khaddam ) is better then another (Tlass) , Saudi and Qatari emirs support democracy (!!!!) in Syria.. what is going on?

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